By the time you've scheduled your breast augmentation surgery, you've already spent months or even years researching cosmetic surgeons and daydreaming about how much more confident you will be after the surgery. One detail you should not overlook at this time is your surgery recovery. Breast augmentation is a positive move for many women, but it is also major surgery that takes time to heal from. Here are a few tips for ensuring your recovery goes as smoothly as possible:
Ask Your Loved Ones for Help
This is not the time to go-it-alone. Asking for help from your significant other, family, or friends, means you can recover in comfort and avoid hurting yourself. You will need someone to drive you home from surgery and get you comfortably settled at home due to the sedation. Ideally, you will have help with making meals, cleaning, and childcare the first few days of your recovery when you may be groggy and sore. You will need to avoid heavy lifting or strenuous activity for at least a week or so, which may mean enlisting help with household tasks.
Get Your Medication Early
The last thing you will feel like doing after your surgery is standing in line at the pharmacist. It's best to ask your surgeon for your prescription paperwork ahead of time. You will most likely be prescribed pain medication. You may also be prescribed anti-nausea meds since some women do experience nausea for a day or two as a side effect of anesthesia. Remember that your prescription pain medication may make you drowsy, and your body needs rest to heal from surgery, so plan to sleep more than usual for the first few days of recovery.
Follow Surgeon Instructions
Your surgeon will give you detailed written instructions after your surgery, and it's crucial for your recovery that you follow these. In most cases, these instructions will include directions for performing breast massage after your surgery, which helps the incision site and tissue to heal more rapidly. Your surgeon may also recommend that you wear a surgical bra, provided by the hospital, during the first few days of your recovery. Other instructions may be specific to your unique situation, surgical goals, and health, so be sure to read them carefully.
Prioritizing a healthy and comfortable recovery by following these tips will speed up your healing after breast augmentation and help you avoid any complications. For more information, contact services such as Renaissance Center For Facial & Body Sculpting.